County to tighten rooster law

San Diego County supervisors are looking to have the last crow in a law aimed at ending the practice of raising roosters for illegal cockfighting.

The panel next week is expected to approve tightening an ordinance that limits rooster keeping to 1 to 20 depending on property size.

But since that law was enacted in 2011, a handful of people have claimed they can raise as many roosters as they want because there were doing so under the auspices of a Future Farmers of America or 4-H Club project.

In some instances, people claimed that their children or grandchildren were raising the birds as part of a farm project, according to Supervisor Dianne Jacob.

In response, the county is going to require that anyone claiming such an exemption submit a plan to their organization detailing the specific project purpose and number of roosters.

And in the case of a 4-H project, that plan also must by submitted to the county 4-H adviser for approval.

“We needed to plug this loophole while making sure we still honor legitimate FFA and 4-H projects,” said Jacob, whose East County district is home to at least two properties where large numbers of roosters are kept.

The amended law also empowers a sheriff’s deputy or animal control officer to enter private property if there is sufficient cause to believe someone is illegally raising roosters.

The inspection provision is being added after county officials were rebuffed from legally entering a property where it suspected roosters were being raised for cockfighting.

“This is another loophole that needed beefing up to meet the intent of the original ordinance,” Jacob said.

County residents can keep one rooster on properties a half-acre or smaller. Up to 20 roosters are allowed on properties of more than 5 acres.